Welcome

On the day you begin create the space where the Holy Family will be. Try and find a space where it can stay permanently (if this is difficult perhaps find a box it can stay together and be opened up). Take your time to laugh and enjoy and treat the family and space with care.

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Introduction

Listen to Kate explain what the Posada is and how you might join in with our Posada this year.

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​Prayer

As you create your space to welcome your Posada family. Welcome them with a prayer. You might use one of the prayers below or your own words. If you have the family ready put them into the space you have made.

Loving God,
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We thank you for Mary and Joseph and for their courage and trust.

Thank you for the way their journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem was paralleled in their journey from being ordinary people to the extraordinary people you called them to be.  

Please be with us as we travel through Advent this year, and as we seek to be become the people you call us to be.  

May we too have courage and trust.

We pray for the place hosting the Posada today and ask your blessing on all who live, or work, or study, or spend time there.
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Please surround those who look after our Mary and Joseph figures, and all those who encounter them, 
with your love, and care, and peace.

We ask it in the name of Jesus Christ.  Amen
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Taken from Jacquiz Resources

Or with young children use a simple prayer like:

Loving God, Thank you for Advent. Help our family to grow closer to you as we read the Christmas story, talk and play together.

We pray for our house as we look after our Posada family and look for ways to be kind to others around us.

Give us love, care and peace on our journey. Amen

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Daily reflections

After welcoming the family start on Day 1. There is a Bible story, questions to think about and/or talk about and an activity. Remember to adapt the story, questions and activities to the people who are doing it and the space you have. 

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Our context

Church - If you are doing this for families or schools you may want to have a prayer or a couple of options printed out for them to use. Or you might start it with a 5 minute introduction and Welcome through a video call with all the houses/classes involved. This is a good way of starting together, but especially with young children it is best if it is very short. You might include the welcome video here.

You might link this with a doorstep Posada. Where you have one Holy Family set that does travel between houses but there is one person that carries it and puts it on the doorstep and knocks on the door. You can say the prayer together to welcome the Posada and take a photo for them. Then when they have closed the door the family is collected up and is ready for another doorstep (either doing them through a day or two or a different doorstep each evening)

School - Can you video call the other classes so you can Welcome your Posada families together? If your church has sent a video to introduce it then do share that. Alternatively you could make your own introduction or use the video above.

Family - Use the video to introduce the idea or watch it and talk about it in your own words. You know your children best so adapt the words, prayers etc to your family. It is not about beautiful or perfect wording but about a family sharing and learning and growing together.
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